Veritaserum
by Vanwilder
Summary: One-shot. Harry shows one of the biggest flaws in Veritaserum. The Wizarding World is shocked.


Dolores Umbridge sat in the center of the judgement panel, a group of people assembled to punish all those who commited crimes against upstanding Pureblood members of the Wizarding society during the recent Blood War.

Already, Dean Thomas had been sent to Azkaban for life, for using a Bone-Crusher Hex in the Battle against Theodore Nott, who had obviously been under an _Imperius_ curse.

There was some resistance still left by the Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors in Britain, and it was an open secret that Harry Potter was their leader.

Today was a big occasion. They had managed to capture Harry Potter. This trial was arranged so that he could be thrown... er... incarcerated in Azkaban for crimes against Purebloods. Ginerva Potter had been promised the whole contents of Potter Vaults upon the incarceration of her husband, and she'd happily betrayed his location.

This was a broadcasted trial, so that no one, anywhere, would have any doubts about his guilt in the crimes.

Sitting with Umbridge were Lucius Malfoy, Oliver Nott, Molly Prewett, Percy Weasley, Antarius Parkinson.

The courtroom was filled with everyone important and no one useful. Hermione Granger sat with eyes puffed red and tears streaming down the face at the betrayal her friend was suffering. Everyone knew this, that if Harry Potter got sentenced to Azkaban, the Resistance would fail and die. He was the adhesive keeping it all together.

Harry, on the other hand, was fiddling with the chains attached to his arms and had a small smile on his face. It confused every one who saw it, but everyone ignored it as another quirk of the Boy-Who-Lived-And-Won.

The scribe was going on and on about the list of crimes he was being charged with.

Finally, Umbridge stood and addressed Harry.

"Harry James Potter, how do you plead for the crimes you have been charged with.

"Innocent."

That sent the chamber in mild surprise. Pleading innocence, and being proven guilty, on a major law could see him get the Kiss.

"We give the defendant the opportunity to state their case."

Harry spoke. "How about we make an agreement. I will consent to being administered the Veritaserum in this room. In exchange, the whole panel swears on their magic to judge each of the crimes I am being charged with, so that only the crimes I have confessed under Veritaserum are the ones for which I suffer incarceration. Any and all other charges get dropped."

 _That_ sent the court in a state of shock. Veritaserum was still a controlled substance, which couldn't be administered in a court without the consent of the accused. This was a final failsafe for all those Purebloods who were released under the _Imperius_ defence.

One thing which is very useful in Veritaserum is that it completely blocks any attempts to control the mind of the person under its effect. So, you couldn't be under Veritaserum and be forced to say two plus two gives three.

The Oaths were spoken after a quick discussion. You just didn't get a better opportunity to place Harry Potter under Veritaserum.

The Veritaserum was administered.

"Is your name Harry James Potter?"

"Yes."

"Were you in Gryffindor in Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

A few more questions were asked to confirm the Serum was working as intended. Then the questions related to the crimes were asked.

"Did you fire a _Cruciatus_ Curse on Alecto Carrow?"

" _§ Yess. §_ "

Everyone flinched when he spoke Parseltongue. And then the genius that was Harry Potter was understood by people.

The only known Parselmouth in the entire magical world was Harry Potter.

Only he could understand his own answers.

It was a disaster.

Due to being bound by theOath they had carelessly taken, the panel of judges were helpless to do any thing as each of their questions were answered in Parseltongue.

Some people were openly laughing. Others were shocked into silence. Ginerva "Ginny" Molly Potter was trying to disappear in her chair. Hermione was laughing, and she was crying, but they were tears of joy.

Harry Potter walked out of the Ministry of Magic a free man that day.

After all, Veritaserum only forced one to answer each question honestly. It never forced someone to answer each question in english.

Soon, Veritaserum was deemed useless. Everyone who'd commited any major crimes made it a point to learn some obscure long forgotten languages, or at least the words for 'yes' and 'no'.

The 'Translation Charm' was also useless, as it was a kind of mind manipulation spell which forced the recipient's mind to change the concepts from their native language to english.

All because they cornered Harry Potter.

You don't corner a Lion. He strikes back.


End file.
